Electric igniter for gas-engines



(No ModeL) J. L-OW 8: J. W. GOW. ELECTRIC IGNITER FOR GAS ENGINES.

No. 515,297, Patented Feb. 20 1894.

'Ntrnn Sterne JOSHUA LOW AND JAMES WILLIAM GOW', OF STEUBENVILLE, OHIO.

ELECTRIC IGNITER FOR GAS-ENGINES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 515,297, dated February20, 189

Application filed May 13, 1893. Serial No. 474,154:- (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that we, JOSHUALOW and JAMES W'ILLIA-M GOW, citizens of theUnited States, residing at Steubenville, in the county of Jefferson andState of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inElectric Igniters for Gas-Engines; and we do hereby declare thefollowing to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention,such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it pertains tomake and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawing,which forms a part of this specification.

Our invention relates to an improved electric igniter for gas engines,and consists in an apparatus constructed without the use of springs inthe explosion chamber, whereby the gas is ignited, together with certaindetails of construction, and combination of parts as will be fullydescribed hereinafter.

In the accompanying drawing we have shown a diagram View of our improvedigniter for gas engines, which is constructed and arranged in accordancewith our invention.

To put our invention into practice with a gas engine consisting of thecylinder 1,-the vertically moving piston 2 operating therein; the pistonrod 3, operating the gear wheels 45,together with the other well knownfeature of this class of engines-we provide a coil 6 having a soft metalcore 8 projecting downward from the same, and securely at-' tached inthe top of the cylinder 1, by means of an insulating piece 9, and nuts10 arranged on the threaded end of the said core 8. The upper portion 7of this core is composed of a number of fine wires in order tostrengthen the power of the coil 6 when converted into a magnet bycompleting a circuit to the battery 20. Attached to one of the gearwheels 5 operated by the piston 2 is a pin 14 adapted to t be brought incontact with a metallic brush coil 6 into an electro magnet when thebrush is brought in contact with the pin 14.

Attached on the top of the piston 2 15 31 piece 16 for the purpose ofsupporting avibratingcontact 17. This contact 1 7cons1sts of a metallicstrip attached to the piece 16 by a flexible connection 19 in a mannerthat the same may move a limited distance upward until stopped by thenut 18 attached to a vertical post. In operation, the piston 2 mov ngvertically, revolves the gear wheels 40 in a m anner well known to theart. The gear 5 having twice the circumference as the small one 4 willbring the pin 14 in contact with the brush 15 at every double stroke ofthe said piston 2 as it is common in this class of engines to explodethe gas at every double and WIIG'l'l to the battery 20. WVhen thiscircuit has been completed the coil 6 is converted into an electromagnet and the piston having moved upward brings the contact 17 withinthe influence of the core 8, and attracts the same to make a contact,and complete another circuit before the first circuit has been broken bythe two contacts 1415 separating. This last completed circuit commencingatthe battery through the wire 12 to the cylinder 1, through the same tothe piston 2, to the contact 17, thence through the core 8 and coll 6 tothe wire 11 and the battery 20. At the return stroke of the piston 2 thecontact between the core 8 and contact piece 17 is bI'OkGH WhIOllproduces a spark to ignite the gas to drive the piston downward.

If desired a permanent magnet maybe used in place of the electro magnetdescribed, and we may dispense with the contacts 1415, but we prefer touse the electro magnet, as the same is more lasting.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim, and desire to secureby Letters Patent is- The combination consisting of the cylinder havinga piston operating-therein, of an elec- 7 tro magnet having its coreprojecting into the said cylinderandinsulated therefrom, a means forcompleting a circuit for the said magnet,

a contact 17 arranged on the said piston adapted to be brought withinthe influence of the said magnet,wherebya spark may be produced when thesaid contact 17 is made and broken with the core of the magnet, as andfor the purpose described.

In testimony that we claim the foregoing we [0 hereunto affix oursignatures this 18th day of April, A. D. 1893. Y

JOSHUA LOW. JAMES WILLIAM GOVV.

In presence of JAS. J. MOAFEE, H. J. LEVIs.

[L. s] [L. s]

